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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 2020)
AG DAY AND COVID-19 COVERAGE| B SECTION Wednesday, March 25, 2020 152nd Year • No. 13 • 20 Pages • $1.50 MyEagleNews.com Gov. Brown ordering more Oregonians to stay home Exceptions allowed only for groceries and other essential activities By Dick Hughes Oregon Capital Bureau Gov. Kate Brown on Monday directed most Ore- gonians to stay home except for getting groceries, going to work or handling import- ant activities that cannot wait. Brown said she was act- ing because many Orego- nians had failed to heed her directives to practice “social distancing” to decrease the transmission of COVID-19. “I was very, very clear. I asked and urged Orego- nians to stay home. On Fri- day night, I frankly directed them to stay home, and now I am ordering them to stay home,” she said in a con- ference call with report- ers Monday afternoon. “As I’ve said a zillion times in the last couple weeks, this is an instance where each one of us can make a difference, and each one of our actions can have an impact and truly save lives.” Brown ordered more than two dozen types of busi- nesses to close as of Tues- day, primarily ones that can- not operate without close personal contact. Other businesses, including farm- ers markets and auto repair shops, may stay open if they maintain at least six feet of social distance between peo- Oregon Capital Bureau/Jake Thomas Gov. Kate Brown details steps Oregon is taking to limit the spread of COVID-19 at a press conference in Portland on March 12. ple, or if they can operate remotely. She applauded stores that already have marked off spots six feet apart for individuals to stand in line or have converted solely to curbside pickup. “I am not interested in taking someone’s job or shutting down a business if they can practice social dis- tancing at work,” Brown said. “I’ve been really clear: If businesses are not com- plying with this order, we will shut them down.” Among businesses allowed to stay open are grocers, pharmacies, bars and restaurants for takeout or delivery, banks and gas stations. Key provisions of Brown’s far-reaching order include: • Oregonians should stay home whenever possible. • Violating the order could be a Class C misdemeanor. • Except for members of the same residential house- hold, all non-essential social Grant County restaurants adapt amid coronavirus closures Takeout and delivery services still available at many locations By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle The state’s order to stop inside dining for four weeks has left Grant County restaurant owners both opti- mistic and uncertain about the future. “It is what it is,” said Out- post owner Tia Barrietua. Barrietua said she went down to a five-person staff — down from 20 before the rule came down. According to the state’s directive, restaurants and bars are barred from offer- ing seated dining, a mea- sure intended to slow the spread of the coronavi- rus that state officials esti- mate to infect upwards of 75,000 people across the state. They’re still allowed to offer delivery or takeout. Grant County saw its first positive test Thursday. Barrietua, who now works five days a week, can no longer tackle projects to grow the business. “It feels like I am start- ing from scratch,” she said. Barrietua said she had planned to repave the back parking lot over the spring, but the prospect of complet- ing the project is simply out of reach both logistically and financially. Barrietua said the restau- rant now delivers, but they are not very popular so far. She said the business could absorb the impact for two and recreational gatherings of individuals are prohibited immediately, regardless of size, unless people can stay at least six feet apart. • As of Tuesday, specific retail businesses are closed. They include arcades, barber shops, hair salons, gyms and fitness studios, skating rinks, theaters and yoga studios. • Businesses not on the closure list may operate via telework or by implement- ing social-distancing poli- cies “consistent with guid- ance from the Oregon Health Authority.” Brown said OHA still was working on those guidelines. • With the exception of businesses allowed to stay open, indoor and outdoor See Brown, Page A10 First COVID-19 case confirmed in Grant County Blue Mountain Eagle March 30, school leaders in the county are planning Grant County has con- firmed its first posi- tive case of COVID-19, the Grant County Health Department announced Thursday. The health department is working closely with the Oregon Health Authority on investigative protocols. The confirmed case is following all public health recommendations, includ- ing staying home and self-monitoring for symp- toms, according to a health department press release. Grant County Public Health Administrator Kim- berly Lindsay said public health staff are working in partnership with the OHA and local health services to protect and inform the public. “We recognize that we are in uncertain times,” Lindsay said. “We want to express our sincere thanks to our community partners and community members for all the work they have done and continue to do to protect the health and wellbeing of folks who live and work in Grant County.” Health officials con- tinue to urge Grant County residents to take steps to protect those who are most vulnerable to complica- tions from COVID-19. Those considered high risk include adults 60 and older or anyone with a serious health condition, including lung or heart problems, kidney disease or diabetes, or anyone who has a suppressed immune system. People vulnerable to complications should fol- low OHA and Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention recommendations to stay home as much as possible and avoid gatherings. Every resident should take these basic steps to protect those most at risk: • Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. • Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. See Schools, Page A10 See COVID-19, Page A10 The Eagle/Steven Mitchell Brandon Elliott runs the grill at The Outpost Sunday. Dairy Queen owner Benny Santos Ali Lenz, owner of the Ugly Truth months at the most. “I don’t think any of us could for much longer,” Barrietua said. Heidi Wolf, the general manager, said she thinks it will take time for business to pick up after the ban, and she’s not holding out hope for the tourist season to be what it used to be before the outbreak. Dairy Queen owner Benny Santos said, despite the fact that it will take time to get back to normal, he is staying optimistic. Santos, a franchisee, said Dairy Queen’s corporate office has been supportive as has the community in Grant County. “The corporate office told me that we’re going to be fine, but we are changing the way we operate,” San- tos said. Santos said one per- son is designated to handle money, and every employ- ee’s headset has a timer with reminders to wash their hands. Santos said he has not had to let anyone go due to the restrictions, and he assured his staff that he would do everything he can to keep everyone on. Shift manager Sierra Jones said when she heard about the new restrictions she was worried the drive- through could get over- whelming or that custom- ers would get angry, but so far it has been a smooth transition. “We’ve gotten it down pretty well,” Jones said. “So far their have not been any complaints.” Jones, who handles the cash transactions, said her focus is to keep the money situated and keep every- thing clean and sanitized. “At the end of the day, it is about keeping our cus- tomers and our employees healthy,” Santos said. Santos, who immigrated to the United States from Brazil, said it is times like this that make him proud to be an American. “I love America, and I See Restaurants, Page A10 Schools making adjustments with extended closures By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle The new corona virus may have put a pause on the school year, but schools in Grant County are hard at work providing food for students and planning for education after spring break concludes. Gov. Kate Brown announced on March 17 that school closures in Oregon will be extended through April 28. When the announcement came out, Grant County schools began thinking on how to provide supplemental edu- cation and how to move forward. “As soon as the announce- ment of school clo- sures came out, we began the process of Bret Uptmor unpacking what that meant for us in the Grant School District,” said Bret Uptmor, the Grant School District 3 superintendent. “We would love to say, ‘Yep, we are going to do it online,’ but really, we don’t have the capacity to do that due to our technol- ogy infrastructure in our school and community.” Uptmor said that the initial plan for Grant School District is to pro- The Eagle/Rudy Diaz A reminder from Grant Union High School to stay healthy as closures remain in affect until April 28. vide take-home packets, which will be delivered to students at bus stops or at school doors. On
